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A POEM 



ON THE 



ORIGIN AND SUPPRESSION 



OF THE 



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LATE REBELLION 



BY DAVID AVERY. 



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WILLIMANTIC: 

WEAVER ct UURHSS, PRINTERS 

1865. 



1 




I POEM 



ON THE 



ORIGIN AND SUPPRESSION 



OF THE 



LATE REBELLION. 



BY DAVID AVERY. 



WILLM4NTIC: 

WEAVER ft CURTISS, PRINTERS 



1865. 

I 



Eg47 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, 

By DAVID AVERT, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut. 



PREFACE. 



The following production is given to the public in com- 
pliance with the solicitation of many of my friends who 
have heard it rehearsed ; and I would briefly remark, that 
it was indited with no feelings of ill will towards any who 
disagree with me in political sentiments ; that in my delin- 
eation of the character and conduct of the leaders, aiders 
and abettors of the late rebellion, as well as in my descrip- 
tion of the capture of Jeff Davis, I felt myself warranted 
not by hearsay evidence merely, but by good newspaper 
authority ; that it is with an earnest desire that it may 
serve as a mirror in which the magnitude and atrocity of 
treason may be. the more clearly seen by all of every class ; 
and that it may have a salutary influence on the present 
and rising generation, — the happy effect to make them 
view with the greater abhorrence the Hydra of nullifica- 
tion, and to cement their affections in the love of that price- 
less legacy bequeathed to us by our venerated forefathers^ 
our glorious Union ; which, while it is an eyesore to all ty- 
rants, is an object of admiration and devotion with all 
true patriots ; this effort of an unpretending muse is now 
submitted to the scrutiny of a candid and discerning public 
by their humble servant, 

THE AUTHOR, 
Hampton, Ct., Dec, 1865. 



A POEM. 



The Knight of the Crinoline, Chivalry's king, 
His vaunting bravadoes and prowess I sing. 

He was the disciple of John C. Calhoun, 

Whose optics were like a snow-wading moon ; 

Who first taught the right of secession and planned 

The Union's destruction throughout this fair land. 

Charmed with the fine project of nullification, 

In a wild revery of imagination, 

Jeff dreamed the result of the great civil war 

Would be to install him the American Czar. 

For 'twas a maxim in ethics, that Calhoun taught — 

A shrewd original paramount thought — 

That "might makes right,"as the hawk said to chicken, 

And so to the victimized mouse said kitten. 

Clad in panoply of wiles so complete 

Of falsehood, fiaesse, and devilish deceit ; — 

A master of etiquette, cunning and sly ; 

His phiz the true mirror of mock piety ; 

Softly he broached his deep-concocted plan 

To that soft-pated, short-sighted man, 

As the Serpent beguiled our grandmother Eve, 

And made that old dolt, Buchanan, believe 

That 'twas their sincere, decided intent 

To elect him per force the next President, 

And make the North all cry peccavi, 

If he'd just let them manage the mint and Navy. 

He gobbled the bait, like a trout, in a trice, 



6 

And sold himself, body and soul, at that price. 
Jeff then issued his bold proclamation 
To all the heads of the Slavocrat nation 
To convene, and in delib'rative session 
Decide the grave question of final secession. 
The call was obeyed as it flashed o'er the wire 
Through all Secessia, the Southern empire. 

The House called to order, in Parliament style, 

The king of the Chivalry rose with a smile 

Of complaisant, courtly congratulation 

On their meeting to scan the affairs of the nation; 

Then let off his steam in a speech egotistic, 

Fiery, vindictive and characteristic ; 

In which he argued the right of secession. 

As grounded in their unexampled oppression. 

Said, — The North had long strove to abridge their 

State rights, 
Which had caused all the noise and political fights : 
That 'mong their State rights is the right to hold 

slaves, 
Without asking leave of these slave-stealing knaves : 
That the slave, de facto, is a personal chattel, 
As clearly as are their four-footed cattle : 
That the bond of the Union — our great charter, 
Secures the right in that chattel to barter: 
That when the slaveowner chooses to migrate, 
He may carry 'long with him that sort of estate; 
And no geographic line should be in his way 
To hinder his going wherever he may : 
That with a bold face the Scriptures of truth 
The fanatics distort to make out the proof, 
That God has ordained the Blacks shall be free, 



And equal with Whites in'rank and degree : 
That 'gainst the rendition law of the land 
They've often defeated the owners demand : 
That by Underground Railroad to West Canada 
Oft fugitive slaves have been helped on their way : 
That 'gainst our State laws they've taught them to 

read, 
And given them books » — quite a favor indeed ! 
Teach my horse to unlock his stable door; 
T would be as much of a favor, or more. 
Shall we to those half-nigger mudsills succumb, 
And tamely, like spaniels , come under their thumb ? 
Shall we, like some fools who don't better know, 
Submissively kneel and kiss the Pope's toe ? 
What are they but serfs — -a low, clownish race ? 
To own them as kindred would be a disgrace. 
Far better be under the Dey of Algiers, 
Than suffer what we have now suffered for years. ' 
They say if we rise, they'll put us all down : 
Then why didn't they avenge the death of John 

Brown ? 
The North are all cowards ; and the first gun 
Will make them like sheep skedaddle and run. 
In the name of high Heaven now let us swear 
That the rule of the North we no longer will bear; 
That come life, come death; come weal or woe, 
For Independence the South will all go ; 
That our inalienable State rights we'll have, 
Or go down together in one common grave. 

He spoke ; when A. H. Stephens rose in his place, 
And with a benign, but significant face, 
Said, the foul doctrine of nullification 



8 

Was long anterior to Adam's creation ; 

And deserved their unqualified repudiation : 

That 'twas first promulged by Satan who fell, 

And then re-affirmed in the councils of hell : 

That its true meaning, essence, vile leaven, 

Is plainly— "better reign in hell than serve in heaven ;" 

That his whole moral nature recoiled at the thought 

Of reducing this glorious republic to naught : 

That Gov'nor McDuff, that great nullifier, 

Had well nigh accomplished his heart's fond desire, 

When old Hickory published his stringent decree 

That they all should be hung on the nearest tall tree, 

As high as was Haman in shame and disgrace, 

Unless they would stop — turn right about face ; 

At once the oath of allegiance take, 

And secession and treason forever forsake : — 

To which those insurgent chiefs of the South 

Subscribed, and never again opened their mouth 

Touching secession or nullification. 

You call the North " mudsills," the scum of the earth, 

Are they inferior by their homogene birth ? 

You call them mere serfs with billingsgate slang ; 

Tell me whence their and our pregenitors sprang. 

Runs not in their veins the same Saxon blood ? 

Because it runs in them is it less good? 

You say " the North are all cowards " and never 

will fight ; 
Those seldom lack couragewho contend for the Right* 
Think of a Warren, who on Bunker Hill fell, 
As fearless of death as the brave William Tell. 
Think of a Knowlton, a Ledyard, a Hale, 
And other kin martyrs : the time would fail 



9 

To pass in review each glorious name 

Now embalmed and enshrined in the temple of fame ] 

Think too of old Put, the bravest of men, 

Who killed a huge wolf in her dark winding den ; 

Whose fortune it was — his heart's chief delight 

To be where the bullets were thickest in fight. 

And in the last war with Great Britain, say, 
Can we of the South boast more trophies than they ? 
The valor of Perry on Erie's bold shore 
Will be remembered till time is no more. 
The song of the battle on Lake Champlain 
Has been sung and sung over and over again, 
How McDonough whipped the whole British host) 
And humbled the pride of old Gen'ral Provost. 
Just think of James Lawrence, New Jersey's famed 

son: 
On sterner stuff the sun never shone : 
Who, mortally wounded on the old Chesepeak ; 
Half dead and fainting — -just able to speak ; 
Said, "Fight on, my brave boys, still let her rip; 
Oh, don't give up — don't — don't give up the ship." 

When by the North were our State rights curtailed ? 
Tell me wherein have been any assailed. 
Of Presidents and the Diplomatic corps, 
Have we not had our full share and more ? 
Of United States Judges and Secretaries too, 
And other officials not very few ? 

While at peace with ourselves and all foreign Powers 
What nation on earth ever prospered like ours? 
Secede from the Union, and where shall we be ? 
1* 



10 

Just where the tyrants of earth are longing to see ; 
"Who are watching and waiting, with crocodile tears, 
To see the North and the South all by the ears. 
Pause, pause, I entreat you, for heaven's sake : 
Think, for a moment, of the momentous stake ; 
Of the odds with which you'll have to contend : 
Oh, who can prognosticate the bitter end ? 
In numerical force, they are three to our one : 
Take heed, then, take heed how you fire the first 

gun. 
'Tis an old Latin proverb, 

11 The gods make mad whom they intend to destroy." 
Such was the sad fate of the city of Troy. 
Though their ships are scattered on every sea; 
Though Floyd has well drained- Uncle Sam's treas- 
ury 
Yet they've more than we of the sinews of war : 
How then doth it behoove us now to beware ! 
But if you'll not heed the dictates of reason, 
And will follow the lead of Satan and treason ; 
If you will do as you've threatened thus far, — 
" Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war .;" 
Your fine splendid mansions will be taken by those 
Who now are your friends, but will then be your foes, 
For Hospital use, — the Lord knows for what; 
And their costly surroundings all go to pot; 
Your temples of worship all be profaned ; 
Their sanctity lost which so long they've retained ; 
Your temples of Justice also will fare 
The horrid, deplorable fortune of war : 
And remember, I beg you, what I now say; — 
What with heart-yearning I tell you this day; — 
The end of your fool-hardy project will be 



11 



To unshackle your slaves and set them all free : 
And what will be worse, — a most galling sight, — 
They will abscond, and like tigers help fight % 
The battle of Freedom, of Truth, and of Right. 
Your princely plantations will be laid waste j 
Their beauty and grandeur wholly effaced : 
The crown of your pride from your head will be torn ; 
Your wives and your maidens, like exiles forlorn, 
Will shelterless wander begging for bread, 
Half naked and tempted to wish themselves dead. 
The blood of your sons will drench the whole land ; 
Their bones lie bleaching on the Pine barren sand ; 
The nursling, that from the breast shall be torn, 
"Will wish, could he speak, he'd never been born; 
The aged, the sick, the poor crippled slave 
Will all find a sudden, premature grave ; 
Desolation and ruin shall everywhere reign, 
With everything lost and no possible gain. 
Such, such are some of the glories of war ! 
I've done : you will have it all your own way, 
Though an angel from Heaven should endorse what 

I say : 
Enough I have said 'bout the danger you're in, 
And I wash my hands clean from the damnable sin. 

To which John C. Breckinridge, that vile arch-traitor. 
Than whom in virulence no one was greater, 
With the most brazen effront'ry replied : 
I appeal, said he, to your national pride : 
Shall we, the sons of the chivalrous South, 
Forever sit still and not open our mouth? 
Shall we to those Northern fanatics yield 
The sceptre of empire unresisted to wield ? 



12 

Shall they alter onr laws their fancy to suit, 
And we lack the courage that right to dispute ? 
Shall we to those crawling reptiles give up, 
Ana the concentrated gall of surrender sup ? 
No ; in the language of Toombs," let the heavens fall/ 
Sooner than swallow that concentrated gall: 
Sooner than bide Lincoln's administration 
"We'll put on it the seal of eternal damnation : 
We'll burn up their cities; we'll rob all their banks; 
We'll poison their fountains, their wells and their 

tanks ; 
We'll spread contagion in old pestilent rags 
From Bermuda imported in big cotton bags; — 
Those whom we take pris'ners we'll starve and 

torment 
With every cruelty art can invent ; 
The Union refugees no better shall fare, 
But of pain and suffering shall have their full share J 
Old Abe we will bag and his Cabinet too, 
And the North shall resound with the accents of woe J 
To kill a tyrant I consider no crime : 
When Brutus killed Csesar 'twas viewed at the time 
As a good deed, patriotic, sublime ; 
E'en as a great desideratum by some— 
As requisite to the salvation of Rome. 
Let no scruples of conscience deter for an hour 
Our vials of -jnmingled vengeance to pour 
On the heads of our implacable foes, 
Who will hear no overtures we can propose. 
In the words of the Chairman now let us swear 
" That the rule of the North no longer we'll bear." 
And resolve that our Independence we'll have, 
Or go down together in one common grave. 



13 

Jeff briefly responding, said every word 

Of Mr. B.'s speech was in perfect accord 

With his own views,— -e'en as a a Thus saith the 

Lord:" 
That 'tis right of our foes to make a clean sweep, 
Nor feel more compunction than in slaughtering 

sheep : 
That David the Psalmist oft prayed to the Lord. 
To help him destroy with the bow and the sword 
His enemies through all the Palestine coast ; 
A ruthless, uncircumcised, God-hating host. 
Then whispering to B. as still as a mouse, 
Told him they'd better try the sense of the House 
Viva voce ; when on the call all nem. con. 
Secession went, except Stephens alone. 

Jeff stretching up to the top of his hight, . 
Said, The die is now cast, — we've all got to fight: 
And the first step, you must well be aware — 
The great ultimatum — is to proclaim civil war. 
Concert is strength : in the North we've some friends; 
Who will help us accomplish our favorite ends. 
There's Toucey, Tom Seymour and little Bill Eaton, 
Who in political intrigue cannot be beaten; 
H. Seymour too, and Fernando Wood, 
Whose views of secession are well understood; 
And also Frank Pierce, another good man, 
Who has long stood ready to do what he can 
To favor our wishes : and others likewise 
Who, under the crafty plausible guise 
Of pacification, have blinded the eyes 
Of some shallow minds, who're swayed by the 
breeze, 
2 



14 

Believing the moon is made of green cheese. 

Besides those good friends, I will mention two more, 

Who now for disunion are ripe to the core j — 

Mack and Yallandigham, with whom I've conferred; 

Whose troth I'll endorse, every letter and word. 

The latter excels in double entendre, 

And will pilot the geese like a wild gander 

To where freedom and slav'ry can coalesce, 

And nullification nevertheless. 

The former will take from the latter his cue, 

And learn to assume the chamelion's hue. 

'Tis said "the North have more of the sinews of war f' 
I'll tell you what A. H. Stephens said it for, — 
To scare and deter us from the great end — 
The grand primum mobile for which we contend. 
In point of finances, Cotton is king : 

From England's vast storehouse 'twill certainly 

bring 
Of munitions of war abundant supplies, 
As our wants in course of events may arise : 
Nay, our right to secede they'll never dispute, 
But will build us good ironclads, and man them to 

boot. 
Courage is strength : we'll make the Feds cower 
With our combined, all-crushing power; 
And what will be a most cutting hard joke, 
The North will come under the old British yoke ! 

Jeff modestly said, " they now needed one 

As deep in wisdom as was Solomon ; 

A statesman profound, who has seen much of war : 

Who can best drive the Confederate car j 



15 

Whose firmness is like the rock of Gibraltar : 

Who, in case of defeat, never will falter* 

Who is bold as a lion ; whose nerves are like brass ; 

A consummate strategist, whom none can surpass : 

That if they'd 'point him to the high station 

As supreme Head of the Confederation, 

He would lead them like Moses the wilderness 

through, 
And they should never have cause or occasion to rue." 

Up rose Breckinridge and brayed like an ass, 
Blowing off a gallon or more of his gas 
In praise of old Jeff, whom he puffed to the sky. 
Said he, •• Put Jeff on the lead, — the flash of his eye 
Will make the Feds either surrender or fly. 
That in the Mexican war he ne'er turned his back, 
And in tactics and pluck was equal to Zack: 
That when bleeding Kansas so loudly did yell, 
He, he was the chap that gave them all hell : 
That throughout Frank Pierce's administration, 
He was the main spoke in the wheel of the nation. 
He moved that to him their thanks they now proffer 
For his magnanimous, generous offer, 
And to that high responsible station 
They select and appoint him by acclamation." 
In response to the call, 'twas a nem. con. choice, 
Except, as before, poor Stephens' voice, 
Which was quite overwhelmed and drowned in the 
noise. 

The friends of the muse will pardon a word 

'Bout one thing now on historic record : 

I mean A. H. Stephens' complete summerset* 



16 

The like this world hardly ever saw yet : 

When in spite of all he so nobly had said, 

He killed himself quite politically dead. 

Do any ask how? was it for fame or for pelf? 

'Twas for both that the fool murdered himself: 

And the brand of treason is stamped on his name— 

The total eclipse of his ODce fair fame. 

A pigmy in stature— a giant in mind ; 

With the ken of an angel — like an idiot blind. 

« 
But to return: 

Jeff thought and felt he was then made for this world 
And thus thinking and feeling his flag he unfurled j 
Dreaming again that the great civil war 
Would surely make him th' American Czar. 
He hastened to Eichmond as by express, 
Which he made his strong castle and fortress ; 
Where the sceptre of empire in terror he swayed, 
And his mandates were like a monarch's obeyed. 
Losing no time, with the utmost dispatch 
He published his stern executive batch — 
His Manifesto ; based on the condition 
Of a frank, unreserved recognition 
Of their Independence ; — a sine qua non : , 
No favors asked excepting that one. 
Our colors, said he, are nailed to the mast; 
Our firm irrevocable Fiat is passed ! 
Jeff taking Uncle Sam's silence for a denial, 
Said he would put his metal on trial. 
Then ordered Pickens to fire the first gun 
On Sumter, then commanded by Anderson, 
Who had but a single handful of men ; 
The odds being as 'tween a hawk and wren. 



17 

Say, as Jeff had foretold, did that " first gun " 
" Make them like sheep skedaddle and run ?" 
For twenty-four hours they stood at their post, 
Bravely combating an o'erwhelming host, 
In one continuous sheet of hot fire 
And thick smoke ; till prudence bade them retire. 
Old Jeff's ereiT crowed to the top of their voice, 
And made all Secessia ring with their noise. 

In the great battle of bloody Bull Bun 

Did the Ilebs enjoy a feast of fat fun 

To see the scared Feds skedaddle and run ? 

Old Jeff had the Vantage of six to three j 

Yet, notwithstanding that disparity, 

No one could tell till the end of the fray, 

Which side indeed had carried the day. 

But Jeff claimed a vict'ry beyond compare, 

And Stonewall told him 'twas in answer to prayer 

Whereupon Jeff sent out his loud proclamation 

To all the heads of the Confederation, 

For a day of Thanksgiving and glorification. 

They sung Te Dcum to the end of their breath, 

And hardly less praises e'en to old Jeff. 

Also in the hot battle of Antietam, 
Where Lee in'his raid thought he could beat 'em, 
But only just 'scaped with the skin of his teeth, 
And got cheated out of his forage and beef; 
Who was it there who skedaddled and fled ? 
Was there discovered one cowardly Fed ? 
And in all the other hard fights of the war, 
Who will dare claim, or pretend to declare 
That the Feds betrayed in true courage a lack, 
Or that one in a thousand e'er turned his back ? 



18 

After four long years of most desperate strife,-— 
The most horrid destruction of human life ; 
When Lee and his cohorts had all got surrounded,, 
And all his deep plans completely confounded ; 
When Grant told him he'd better surrender 
On such terms as to him he would tender ; 
Did Lee hesitate, when the pinch was so tight, 
To comply ? Did he not joy to give up the fight ? 

Comparing his with Belehazzar's doomed throne; 
His marrow quivering in every bone; 
What thought then " the American Czar " 
*Bout " the result of the great civil war?" 
He was thinking, I ween, more how to 'scape 
The danger then threat'ning his old " neck cape ;" 
For when he saw Lee give up in despair, 
He knew the end of his kingdom was near, 
And felt like Belshazzar, when he on the wall 
Bead Mene Tekel Upharsin ! portending his fall. 

Quitting in haste the Confederate throne; 
Of his mock regalia totally shorn; 
His fair-weather friends all out of his sight; 
Like a toothless old dog, unable to bite, 
He skedaddled incog., and fled for dear life, 
With none to soothe him save his children and wife. 
The roads that he traveled, as the papers say, 
Were all new, and through a wild country lay, 
Perplexed with bramble and forests, hard to keep ; 
Crossing miry creeks and declivities steep; 
Nor dotted, nor sketched in any known map; 
Oft causing a summerset and sad mishap. 
Sin is heavy, and so is stolen treasure ; 



19 

Of which he had loads without weight or measure. 
Struggling and straining over horrid bad roads, 
His mules were soon jaded with those on'rous loads, 
When to elude the search of Uncle Sam's pack ; 
He turned his train into a roundabout track. 
Trusting he'd fairly got out of harm's reach, 
He pitched his tent 'neath a wide spreading beech. 
" Tired nature's restorer, sweet balmy sleep," 
Had closed those stern eyes uncustomed to weep ; 
"When, in his dreams, he fought over again 
His hard battles ; and recalled the time when 
Like a despot he swayed th' imperial rod, 
Ordained, as he claimed, and commissioned of God; 
And swore, as did Lucifer, writhing with pain, 
That his lost dominion he yet would regain. 
Thus passed the night, himself not wholly undressed ; 
Quietly taking his unwonted rest 
Till dawn : when his wife, then quite wide awake, 
And watching like sentinel crow on a stake, 
Heard, as she thought, or at least seemed to hear 
The tramping of horses advancing quite near; 
And cautiously peeping through the tent door, 
Discovered twenty-five troopers, or more. 
She whispered her spouse—" Dress quick, in disguise 
My hood and hoops will pull over their eyes 
The wool of illusion." The leader came near 
Bawling out — " Halloo ! Jeff. Davis appear !" 
His wife responded — P There's no Jeff Davis here" 
" 1 have two daughters and an old mother, 
Besides us four there are here no other." 
■ A But I'm told he was seen lately this way." 
" Well," she replied, "'twas day before yesterday 
A caravan passed at quite a dull rate, 



20 

And I don't believe they've got out of the State." 

u Did you notice quite a tall, thin-faced man?" 
" Yes, one very tall ; — his face thin as my fan ; 
And from what I've heard, I think like as not, 
Old Jeff, as they call him, is one of the lot. ? ' 
" But let me inquire how and why came you here ?" 
" I'll tell you," said she, " 'tis now more than a year 
Since my two brothers — both Union refugees, 
The elder called Ben., the younger Beza or Beez ; 
Saved all that they could, and fled, as they say, 
To that peaceful land Cape Flyaway. 
Hither came we on foot; thither we're bound; 
Hoping never more to hear the dread sound 
Of wars and rumors of wars ; and never more 
To witness the sight of a deluge of gore." 
"Madam," said he, "your account is quite thrilling; 
And now for an ingress, if you are willing, 
To view the premises, not out of sport, 
But just to make out a faithful report; 
As I have a precept from Uncle Sam : 
Perhaps, by and by, you'll learn who I am." 
" You are a very fine gent, I must confess, 
To wish to see ladies in their night-dress." 
"How long will it take to adjust their wardrobe ?" 
" Well, you are the politest man on the globe ; 
To find your equal it is very rare ; 
Before any court to that I will swear. 
To appear -as they ought, in proper dress, 
'Twill take 'twenty minutes, Sir,— not much less." 
Turning, she said," Mother, do go to the spring, 
And a pailfull of good clean water bring 
To make us some tea and a good hoe cake; 
And I'll have ft? fire already to bake. 



2i 

It may seem strange that I impO&B such a task 3 
Or that of her should any great favor ask. 
I'll tell .you, Sir ; 'tis I think a week to-day, 
We were wending along our wearisome way, 
When my foot slipped 'tween a couple of bogs? 
Throwing me headlong against some old logs, 
And bruising my ancle very severe ; 
Which is the reason why we are now here." 
*Then came Iwbbling and tott'ring her mother^ 
With pail in one hand and staff in t'other — - 
A poor old woman — her face washed with iears 7 
And half bent under full eighty odd years. 
^The Major, suspecting all was not straight, 
S?rom her singular step and soldier-like gait,, 
And the long-toed boots of number thirteen 
Under the crinoline plain to be seen ; 
Following, called out, " Jeff Davis, stop there !" 
*< That's not my name, sir !" "Then tell who you are.' 7 
"My name, at your service-, is Dorothy Ware." 
" Well, Dorothy Ware, I command you stand still i 
Stand, stand, I tell you, or you'll take a blue pill." 
" You're trying, it seems, this old woman to scare ;" 
Then waving her rapier high in the air, — 
"I can lick half a dozen such rascals as you." 
"Down With that weapon, or I'll blow you through. 
I'll give you one minute to think and pray : 
Throw 'down that weapon now, at once, 1 say ! — " 
One, two, tbree > pop ! Hl I aimed right over your head ; 
The next time I fire .you will feel the cold lead* 
Down with that weapon, — down with it, I say* 
You'll find I'm not here to fool, nor to play." 
One, two, " 'Tis down, what more ?" " Down, m 
the ground, 
2* 



22 

You vile rebel.; you've now got to be bound 
With these handcuffs and chains, both hand and foot; 
For now -that. you're ours, we mean you'll stay .put." 
"I'll never lie down to a fellow like. you." 
" Then we will see what bone and muscle can do," 
They grappled ; Jeff, struggling hard, bfrt soon fell 

under, 
Claiming 'twas only an unlucky blunder. 
Nailed to the ground, he foamed, almost spit fire-: 
'Twas a sight to behold that Lucifer's ire. 
As one, sometimes, in a night-mare dream, 
Attacked by ruffi&ns, and trying to scream ; 
Or as when a mad lion, caught in a net, 
Loud roars ; his face begrimed with mud and sweat-; 
Jeff roared and yelled — " fVife, dear wife, do come here ' 
Halloo ! Breckinridge ! Bragg ! Oh you don't hear !" 
The Major, 'tis said, withntiuch better voice, 
Sung alto : "Out from the barley-field boys ! 
Come on, boys ; I've got him, I've got him fast; 
The battle he's fighting 'he knows is his last." — 
" These are none -of my Richmond friends, I vow." 
" They're as good as your secesh friends, I trow. 
Now, Jeff, hold up your foot — don't stop to complain, 
While i fasten this strong and elegant chain." 
if I'll not hold my foot up, nor ever lie still ; 
You've conquered my body, — you'll never my will." 
u Lieutenant Gripe, come pull off his right boot, 
And we will soon fix him, both hand and foot. 
Jeff, kicking and flouncing, renewed his loud yell; 
i' Begone," said he, u ye damned refuse of hell; 
Begone, ye land-pirates; I know you too well: 
Ye devils incarnate, return to that place, 
Where shut is the door of pardoning grace; 



23 

Where 'mong your many black crimes you will see 
The damnable one you're committing on me." 
** Now hold his left foot, while I rivet the chain : 
I know he will be quite disposed to complain; 
And so will he be when he. comes to be hung : 
He'll spit venom and sing his vituperate song, 
Contriving and striving to make it appear 
Of all his high crimes he^s perfectly clear. 
Come, now for the handcuffs ; I'll make them fit : 
Pass to me that block on which he can sit. 
Take- care, old fellow, you'd better not bite; 
I've seen an old cur show quite as much fight. 
There, we're ready now for Fortress Monroe ; 
"Whither I'm ordered with pris'ner to go. 
Before we start, I am going to treat; 
'Twill tune your stomach the better to eat. 
'Now nereis to the health of old Uncle Sam, 
Whose temper is mild as is that of a lamb : 
May the wounds soon heal he's lately received; 
May he be by wolves in sheep's clothing never deceived ; 
May his enemies have their proper desert, 
And none wish to kill him, nor e'er again hurt; 
May he live as long as Mathus'lah of }ore; 
Yes, twice fifty-five thousand years and one more.' " 
" That toast I'll not drink; no, never will I; 
Sooner than drink it I'll always go diy." 
" To wind up thus, I know, seems pretty tough, 
And no wonder you now appear to be gruff; 
But as that Union sentiment won't do, 
I'll propose now to receive one from you." 
" Well, as for old Sam, may he never recover : 
That I would say were he my own twin-brother. 
May the vultures and vampires suck his heart's blood : 



24 

And the whole of his Black Republican brood 
Of hireling knaves, writhe with exquisite pain 
In the "bottomless pit, and there remain." 
" Well Jeff, we're even : we'll dispense with the wine? 
And 'gree on some hard tack and bacon to dine*! 

Proceeding right onward in Uncle Sam's barge 
With his proud trophy and most costly charge \ 
His wife and two daughters strove to console 
Their husband's and father's grief-stricken soul \ 
Assuring him that his trouble is theirs ; 
That he will engross all their thoughts and cares? 
And be remembered by each in their prayers. 
The Major told him he'll much better fare 
Than did our poor prisoners while under his care f 
That he'll have time to review all his past life ; 
The part he has played in the late bloody strife | 
And repent of that flagrant gigantic crime, — 
By far the most flagrant known in all time, 
An<jl his other misdeeds r when,— ready tr) land; 
The Major took him by his iron-bound hand, 
And ba$e feini farewell, in agony great) 
Awaiting hU .-trial and impending fate, 



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